


To Yearn

by Seffiron



Series: TWOTH AU - Strange Magic [2]
Category: Strange Magic (2015)
Genre: Bath, Dorks in Love, F/M, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Lofe, Love, Male-Female Friendship, Post-Coital Cuddling, Romance, Sex, Smut, Snuggling, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, bathing together, handjob, proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:26:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29245035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seffiron/pseuds/Seffiron
Summary: Was she really trying to convince herself that a night by Bogs' side wouldn’t do wonders for her psyche? “Damn the needs of a ruler” - the people need you that bad? They are sleeping! As you should be, but here we are again - night after night after night.“It’s not that late.”Exactly; so go.------------------------The king of the Dark forest and the queen of the Fairfields have been courting for a year. Are they ready to take the next step?
Relationships: Bog King/Marianne (Strange Magic)
Series: TWOTH AU - Strange Magic [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1137110
Comments: 25
Kudos: 35





	1. Don't Fly out in The Night

**Author's Note:**

> Next part of my “Ways of the Heart” series. No particular number, as they will come out at random and won’t be linear in the timeline.  
> I will write a part for the TWOTH timeline whenever I get inspired to write a specific prompt or situation!

_This is silly. You’re silly - just go! You want to go, right? Of course, you do, you’ve been arguing with yourself like this for almost an hour! What could happen, that could be so bad?  
  
_Marianne paced the floors of her room. It was the one turned towards the Dark Forest, as she’d yet to reclaim the royal bedroom after Roland’s betrayal and departure to the Southern kingdom.  
This past year had been turmoil beyond belief. Nothing but chaos! But of course, that had to be expected, right?   
None other than the Queen had dethroned the King, people had gotten hurt… gotten killed, and the sworn enemy of the Fair fields was now a trusted trading partner and ally.

Of course, the other kingdoms had rushed - either to write letter after letter voicing their concerns, and some had even taken the trip to see the whole spectacle for themselves.  
Marianne had seen several things in their eyes. She had sat on her throne, nothing new there, but she could see the disappointment written on their faces; there was no king beside her.  
Someone like _them_ had done the most despicable thing, and Marianne had _let it happen._

Many had offered their help, had offered their _sons_ . She didn’t want a husband this soon, but of course, many of their allies had drooled at the opportunity to have someone of their own blood occupy the throne of the Fairfields. Kings and Queens alike, they were all greedy creatures with eyes for one thing.  
_That’s democracy I guess. Greed and power-hungry..ness? Is that a word?_

She shook her head, placing her palm against her forehead. She felt hot.

There had been chaos, yes, but also… a fresh feel to her world. Like the wind blew more softly, rustling the trees more gently than before, and creating ripples in the water that reminded her of that night.  
The swaying of the weeping willow, its leaves pirouetting towards the silver surface creating rings in the water of new things to come.  
She could feel the rough, plated surface of Bogs’ chest beneath her fingers, and she sighed, tracing a finger over her palm, and shuddering at the sensation.

He was different. He wasn’t doing it for the throne, for the power - he loved her.  
_It wouldn’t hurt to go. You… miss him - they would understand._

They had been courting one another for almost a year. It had been nothing but innocent, done the right way, and absolutely...boring. When Roland wanted _it_ , he would shove his knee between her legs and fondle her chest roughly. In the beginning, she had thought it to be pretty hot. Being wanted like that?  
But it became old fast, and she had wished he could be more sensitive to her wants. He had crossed the line fast when she realized he would go too far when she _didn’t want it._

 _And that’s when the cheating started… great, now you’re tense_ **_and_ ** _angry._

She needed a spar. Needed Bogs’ laughter and smile. Bog’s courting may be too nice, too after the book, but at least she loved him. Had she ever really loved Roland?  
Perhaps in the beginning, when she was young and didn’t know any better.  
She remembered daydreaming, sighing, and throwing herself in his arms. The thought disgusted her now, and she wanted nothing more than to kick that self-righteous creep’s teeth in.

Marianne knew he would get what he deserved, though his family would do everything to keep him alive. A lifetime of imprisonment in the Southern kingdom’s dungeon would serve him right. _It’s not enough, but we’ll take it._

She looked out at the setting sun. Spring was the time of the returning light, and the days were already getting longer. The sun was setting at a much slower pace, and its tardiness to reach the ground almost made her giddy.  
_Don’t fly out in the dark, fly now._

She wasn’t scared of the dark or anything, just… it felt more like a scandal to escape in the middle of the night. Though people knew of their courtship, and though some disapproved, they were official, and going sorta steady. “I got a meeting in the morning… they would be furious”. _They would understand. You haven’t seen him in weeks!_

“No, because we’ve been busy! Building a kingdom up from the ground like this is difficult! Deciding what rules to keep, which laws to not rewrite? Roland did a number on our democracy, Bog would understand…”

Was she really trying to convince herself that a night by Bogs' side wouldn’t do wonders for her psyche? “ _Damn the needs of a ruler” - the people need you that bad? They are sleeping! As you should be, but here we are again - night after night after night._

 _“_ It’s not that late.”

_Exactly; so go._

She paced some more, huffed and puffed, and then grabbed a cape from her closet, and tied her bag around her shoulder, down her side.  
“It’s just one night.”

With that she leaped out the window, her wings unfolding with a snap.


	2. He would Never Leave you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Um, Griselda? Where are we…”
> 
> “Don’t be silly! You two are basically together, so you’re not waiting in the guest room.”
> 
> Marianne thought she could see Griseldas’ cheeks stretch from behind her, and she was almost certain she sported a cocky smile.  
> That made Marianne feel a little hot to her face, and she cleared her throat as they stopped outside a large set of wooden doors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marianne arrives at the Dark Castle only to find that Bog is not there.

The foliage around her was getting damp with the evening dew, and Marianne felt a shiver go down her spine. Spring was the returning of the light… but damn was it still cold! Spring showers were prone to happen soon, and in a way, she wished another cascade would happen upon them like it had done that fateful night where she first escaped to be by his side.

No... to find evidence, to pick a side… Okay, in a way it had been for him too, she had to at least admit that.  
 _We loved him back then. So quick to fall._

 _“_ The alternative was much scarier,” She whispered to herself.

Sometimes, things just felt right. And with years of solitude, despite having been married, she knew she needed to take what she wanted - and that had been the goblin king.  
She laughed to herself at that. “My life did turn into the adventure I yearned for, didn’t it?”

Usually, when she spotted a goblin, her pulse would rush and her wings beat faster. The horn it blew would signal danger, and the claws that swiped at her feet would be sharp and unwelcome.  
This time, the eyes that caught hers seemed to sparkle with glee, the horn blew a sound of triumph and joy, and those claws waved her on her way towards the Dark castle that loomed in the distance.

What a world. What a change.

She could see the mushrooms on the forest floor whisper among themselves, their game of telephone ever-present in these darkened surroundings, and she wondered what Thang would make of their message this time. Probably “something, something _hairy.”_

The sun was now casting golden hues over the sky above, though with the thick crowns of the trees blocking most of it out, it simply left the dark forest brown, dark, and some places, almost a golden red. It was beautiful.

Fireflies were starting to come out, and their glow lit up little scenes all around her. Spiders in their webs, hurrying to finish their homes before darkness fell. Snails and slugs meandering around the forest floor - shivering at the thought of rain above them. She noticed a mouse running for cover as she flew over it, startled at the sudden sound of wings.

It would soon be time for the owls to come out, so it had every reason to be scared. That thought made Marianne shiver, and she beat her wings faster to get to her destination.  
The fireflies were all headed towards the Fairfields, where they would spend the night dancing among themselves. That at least made her smile in her efforts.   
She neared the entrance to the Dark Castle and was a little disappointed to see that Bog wasn’t waiting for her there. She did lighten up a bit though when she saw that Griselda was.

“Marianne! How nice of you to visit.”

Marianne hadn’t even landed before she felt herself getting tucked into a hug. The short goblin was very strong, and Marianne knew it would be futile to resist getting dragged down by the older queen, and thus just went with it.

“Nice to see you, Griselda! How have you been?” She managed and drew herself to her full height once the goblin loosened her grip and let her go. She was eager to ask about Bog but knew that would be rude.

“Eh, getting old. Too old for this nonsense, but you needn’t worry yourself.” Marianne followed to where the queen gestured to large cracks in the wooden structure of the entrance. The old stump that was the Dark Castle was… well, old. Rotting and cracking at the same time, and Marianne furrowed her brow.

“Hey, what did I say! No worrying! Besides, we’re fine! Reinforcing this old thing was a long time coming, and we’ve been hard at work for almost 2 weeks now.”

“Reinforcing?” Marianne glanced back at her and followed when Griselda gestured to her to do so.  
Down the halls, Marianne noticed that there were rocks, mud, and branches propped up against many of the walls, and the hallways smelled more musty and damp.

“We’re deconstructing some weaker walls, replacing them with rocks and such. With the spring showers coming, this place could come down or wash away, and if it doesn’t hold, we’re already looking for a new castle.”

Marianne stopped in her tracks. “A… new castle? Where?”  
She knew her eyes were wide with fear, but Griselda only smiled.

“Don’t worry dear, there’s no way he’d move _further_ away from you. We’re scouting near the Fairfields, already got a few old stumps picked out - they’re much nicer than this one and bigger! One of them is even propped against a boulder, so we’d be able to create tunnels into the rock. Much more sturdy.”

She relaxed. He wasn’t going away.

“Well… sounds like you’ve already decided?”

“Hah! You should try and get him to calm down about it - he’s had a team over there for a couple of days now, checking out the integrity and core strength of the stump. I think they started carving into it yesterday.”

“Think?”

“Yeah well… he’s not... here.” Griselda turned around, a little solemn.  
Marianne felt her shoulders fall a little. Bog wasn’t here, which means she had flown all that way, and now it was dark, and she didn’t feel like flying back in the dark.

“He’s out there? In the dark?” She mused and then started to feel a panic crawl up her back. Owls could as easily snatch Bog up as a quick meal.

“Don’t you worry! He should be coming back tonight, in fact, he could be here any minute!”  
Griselda walked over and patted Mariannes’ arm, making her feel better immediately.   
“He will be so happy to see you! It has been a while, and he could use the comfort. I’ve tried my best to cheer him up, but I’m sure the sight of you is just what he needs!”

Griselda was kind and reminded her a bit of her own mother. Marianne was grateful for the old goblins encouraging words and knew she could always count on her to try and cheer things up. Though, she supposed Bog was a little harder to get to relax.  
The old queen did look tired, Marianne noted.

“Sorry if I seem a little, eh… you know, it’s just..” Griselda looked back towards the entrance of the Dark Castle.

“It’s a lot. You know, moving an entire castle! And while he won’t let me do any heavy lifting, we’re both tired and stressed out. But, it will pass. It’ll be worth it too! Now, this old stump just has to hold till we can relocate everyone!”

Marianne smiled at the old queen, and as they continued down the now-familiar path towards the guest rooms, she felt herself relax again. Something familiar as her private room in _his_ castle made her feel all at edge and excited, and she hummed with anticipation for when he came home later.  
Then they took a turn she wasn’t all that familiar with.

“Um, Griselda? Where are we…”

“Don’t be silly! You two are basically together, so you’re not waiting in the guest room.”

Marianne thought she could see Griseldas’ cheeks stretch from behind her, and she was almost certain she sported a cocky smile.  
That made Marianne feel a little hot to her face, and she cleared her throat as they stopped outside a large set of wooden doors.  
“I’ll see you in the morning sweetheart!” And with that, Griselda walked away, much giddier than she had been when Marianne arrived.

Marianne sighed, chuckled a little to herself, and opened the large doors to step into Bogs’ chamber.


	3. Coming Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Tha’, is very dangerous.” His eyelids drooped as he looked at her, and she felt her pulse race.  
> Well, that turned into something very dangerous indeed - but, screw it. A year of beating around the bush had to be more than enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bog finally returns home, and Marianne finds out just how much she's missed him.

An hour passed. Then two hours, and then Marianne began to feel sleepy. She had wandered around the room, taking in all the personal belongings of the Bog King, trying to figure out what all of them meant.

His bed was moss-covered and hung from vines carved and strung into the ceiling - just like her old rose bed had been. She knew the swaying of the bed would lull her right to sleep - was Bog the same?

There was a closet, which was odd since she’d never seen Bog wear clothing before… and hadn’t he asked her what the purpose of clothing was? Well, the closet _did_ look rather new… She hadn’t dared open it yet though, as she felt that would be too much prying. 

Otherwise, the room held a large trunk, a table, some chairs, a larger, more comfortable chair in the corner, and a door leading to a small washroom. There was also a small fireplace at the backend wall, but it didn’t look like it had been in use for some time.

She had hung her cape on the large chair. The damp evening air had made it a little heavy, and ironically, cold to wear, and so she sat in her sparring outfit at the edge of the bed.  
“He will probably be too tired to spar… no matter. We can spar in the morning.”

Heat crept up her neck. _In the morning._

Was she supposed to sleep in here? Griselda had said she could _wait_ in here, but did that mean… was that, okay? Would it be wrong for them to share a bed?  
Would she be… _could_ she control herself if she found herself lying beside him… against him.

She shook her head. “Nonsense… of course I can! I am the queen of the Fairfields, I have enough self-control to-”

She heard someone outside of the wooden doors. Was it a goblin patrolling? Were they reinforcing the walls?

“Ah know! Please, ye needn’t worry, Ah’ll tend te it myself!”

She would recognize that brogue anywhere… Was Bog angry? She stood from the bed, wringing her hands, paranoia gripping her and running down her back like needle pricks.  
Was he okay?

The doors opened, but it was Stuff that emerged from the doorway.

“Ye really shouldn’t test me rait naow - Ah am perfectly capable of-”

“Oh, hey Marianne!”

Stuff sounded as surprised as she sounded happy, and maybe a bit suspicious of Marianne suddenly being in the bedroom of her king.  
Bog looked like he was about to pass out- Marianne thought she would.  
“Oh, hey… Stuff - I um, Griselda-”

“Yeah, no, not getting involved in this, you can take it from here. I’ll leave - try not to break it all the way through, ‘kay?”

That last part was meant for Bog, and Marianne finally mustered the courage to look at him. He was… dirty. Covered in grime and mud, but that wasn’t what caught her attention.   
His left arm hung limp as his right hand covered a suspiciously blue and purple mark at the shoulder beneath his plates.

As soon as Stuff was out of sight, Marianne all but ran to Bog. “What happened, are you okay?!”

“Ah’m fine! Ah promise - t’ was a rock. _Someone_ didn’t secure it, an’ it fell! Nothin’ much…”  
He was trying to be calm; she could hear it in his voice. She didn’t buy it though.

“Bog, your arm isn’t moving.” She said sternly, but challenging him into telling her more wasn’t going to help.

“Tha’s because it hurts ta move it.” He snapped.

Marianne drew back a little, but she could see the apology in his eyes as soon as the words had escaped him.  
“Ah’m.. Sorry. Ah’m very glad t’ see yah.”

He offered her a solemn smile, though she could tell it was loaded with pain and exhaustion.  
She smiled back.

“Let’s get you cleaned up. I can take a look at your arm… if you’ll let me?”

He nodded, and she felt a certain pride that he’d let her do that for him. She knew washing would have to wait.  
The arm needed to be secure before they could clean it, as to not risk further injury.

She gently touched his fingers where they covered the bruise, and Bog removed his hand to let her inspect it further. This made her smile, despite the situation.  
She prodded and touched, and listened to the way he hissed when she touched certain areas of the bruise.

“Can you feel it?”

“It’s… tingling. Ah actually cannae lift it.” 

She used both hands to feel if the bones inside were still intact, and though Bog sputtered curse words into the air, and it made her feel horrible, she was relieved to feel that the bones were indeed not shattered.

“I think it’s…” She moved to touch the joint where the arm connected to the shoulder, and Bog almost doubled over.

“PLEASE, dannae… touch tha’.”

“Sorry! Sorry… I’m pretty sure it’s dislocated. The bone has popped out of your shoulder socket.” She had a hand steadying him on his chest, while the other had caught his limp arm from swinging back and forth.

“Ah think Ah woud’ agree...” He moaned, and Marianne felt the guilt creep up her neck. She had hurt him.

“W-would you like me to set it? I know how, I just… don’t want to hurt you.”

“Ah’ve had bones set before - knock yerself out.” He tried with a quip, but she could tell he didn’t find this funny at all.  
She set to work finding the socket and bone to join into it, trying to ignore the way Bog sharply sucked air in every time she failed and touched something she shouldn’t have.  
Marianne eventually felt the two would align if she just-

“One, two -”

There were a crack and a pop, and Marianne quickly steadied Bog as he fell to his knees, hissing through his teeth as they almost drew blood on his lower lip.  
She was worried it hadn’t worked, though she could see him testing his fingers on the reset arm, wiggling them a bit. His breathing was heavy, and he took a while to finally speak up;  
“So… how ‘ave ye been?”

Marianne laughed at that. “Oh, you know… fine! I mean, I _have_ tried to avoid getting crushed by rocks lately, that surely helped pass the time.”

“Remind me ta force whoever forgot ta secure that rock into cleaning the dungeon fer a month.”

They both stood up, Marianne keeping her hands on his chest and back until he was too tall for it to not seem awkward, and then they just looked at one another.

“I’ve… missed you.” She tried, and her heart jumped at the light that shone in his eyes, and the smile he donned at her words.

“Ah’ve missed ye too, Tough girl.”

“Sorry that I haven’t come to visit sooner! I wanted to…but, you know. Politics!”

He shook his head and chuckled a little. “Ah understand. Ah missed ye, but Ah woud’ not want ye to leave yer people at a time like this.”

She blushed at that, suddenly reminded that - indeed, she had _just_ left her people… at a time like this. With a meeting in the morning.  
“Yeaaah...right.”

He looked at her, understanding almost immediately.  
“Ye left in the middle of the night without tellin’ anybody… didn’t yah.”

It wasn’t said in a scolding sort of way, but more like he found this pretty funny.

“Well! I could just _feel_ that I needed to reset your arm into your shoulder! It was like I was _meant_ to come here!” She tried, and they both laughed at that.  
Trailing off, Bog looked around the room, noticing her cape hanging on his chair, and then he looked back at her

“What are ye doin’ here, Marianne?”

She blinked, suddenly feeling a little silly. “I… Ummm. I was… to be honest? I was lonely. I haven’t seen you in almost a month, and I missed your company. I… missed your touch.”

She noticed the redness creep into his grey cheeks, and warmed at the notion. They had gotten better at this, at being… with each other.  
In the beginning, he didn’t dare touch her unless she was almost shouting at him to do so, but right at this moment, his healthy arm dragged up the side of her, resting at her hip  
as he looked down at her.

She felt like she could drown in those blue eyes of his, as his thumb caressed her hipbone. Something shifted in his eyes, a sort of certainty, though Marianne couldn’t quite figure out what it meant.

“Ah need ta clean up, care ta join me?” He tried to sound seductive. It absolutely worked.

A shiver went down her spine. His brogue also got thick when he was excited, and it always managed to get her all revved up when she knew the cause was- Wait, did he just…

“You want me to help you bathe?” Her face went red, and her neck itched with goosebumps.  
Ah. So that’s what that look was. _Interesting._

“AH, eh- my arm is, it’s still a little numb… woud’, AH MEAN - yer don’t have ta-”

She jumped - a nervous sputtering Bog was cute and endearing, and she enjoyed this side of him as much as any other. But _oh did she want to take a bath with him._

“No, no! It’s fine, I understand! I would love to help you!”

His mouth clamped shut - “Ye.. woud’?”

“Yes, silly. It would be the next step, right? Seeing each other at our most vulnerable? We’ve been courting for a year. I don’t have any doubts at all… do you?”

He wouldn’t say no. Would he? She didn’t just want a husband this time around, if it ever came to that anyway, she wanted a friend. A best friend, someone she could trust, someone she could love - and make love to. With Roland it was a one-way thing, with Bog - he gave her everything.

“Ah.. Ah mean, no! I donnae. Yer.. perfect.” He tried to look away, but Marianne held his chin and made him look at her. “So are you.”

He swallowed and smiled. She knew he had a hard time believing it. The old wounds of being _too hideous to love_ still ran deep, and she knew she’d spend the rest of her life telling him how perfect, and beautiful he was. She didn’t mind this at all.

She leaned into him and tiptoed to brush her lips against his. The arm on her hip moved up to brace her, and soon it curled around her to drag her closer.  
“You smell like mud.”

He chuckled at her tease, and he placed a small peck on her lips.  
“Ye like it.”

Marianne felt a jolt of lighting go up her spine and arms, out into her wings, which fluttered gently against her back in anticipation.  
“Mmm, I do - but I am going to _love_ scrubbing you clean of it.”

“Ha, Ah’d like tha’ - shall we?”

Marianne laughed at the same time Bog chuckled, both of them almost stumbling as they started walking, and then he led her to the washroom  
“Our flirting has gotten better, huh? I think Dawn would be proud.

Bog sat to fill the hollowed stone in the middle of the room with water from a pumping mechanism that went into the underground hot springs beneath the castle.  
She figured he was too tired to venture down there, but found she preferred the privacy of his personal washroom anyway.

“Ah think yer sister woud’ take credit, yes.”

She walked over to him and helped him with the bucket, dumping the steaming water into the stone structure, and watching it ripple like liquid crystals on the dark, grey background.

“I wouldn’t mind it, it would make her very happy to know she helped.” Marianne thought fondly of how Dawn had helped with her… awkwardness.  
Apparently, years of marriage to the same dimwitted idiot would make you immune to picking up on flirting, though it didn’t help that Bog was no better than herself. 

In the beginning, she had been wary of anyone calling her pet names. It would send her mind tumbling back to dark memories of lonely nights spent at _his_ side _._

 _“_ Tough girl” was her saving grace and the only nickname that didn’t make her want to throw up - and she suspected that was because it was Bog who gave it to her.

Steam was starting to fill the room, and Bog tried to make small talk as they filled the tub.  
“So… Why were ye in m’ room anyway? Ye usually stay in tha guest room… not tha’ Ah’m complaining!”

She bit on her lower lip, searching for an answer that didn’t seem too loaded with intent.  
“Your mom.. she insisted.”

“Aye, tha’ makes sense… she’s been goin’ on about…” He stopped, suddenly seeming more nervous and awkward.

“About?”

“Nothin’, is’ just mah mother bein’ ‘erself.”

“You can tell me - it’s not like anything your mother is dreaming of would surprise me at this moment. I’ve known her for a year now!” She emptied the last bucket into the tub and dipped her hand in to test the temperature - relaxingly warm. 

“Eh… ‘is what any mother woud’ want. Besides pestering me about a weddin’ for us anyway.”

Marianne smiled at that. She had given that some thought. Was a year enough courting? Did it matter? Was she ready? Was he?  
She didn’t want to push it, knowing full well that Bog needed time for all of this. He was new to this scene, and she was only as practiced as a divorced woman could be.  
Love was new for both of them, and she knew what marriage meant for their kingdoms.

She still wanted it someday.

“What, she’s at grandchildren already?” She joked, but after seeing the red creep up to his ears this time, she stopped abruptly.

“Oh, well… she’s old, I understand she’d want to be a… um, grandmother.” She rushed to finish the sentence and stepped around the tub to allow Bog access to step closer.  
He stopped the pumping mechanism and did so.

“I’m not even sure if we could manage that. Could goblins and fairies even reproduce?”  
She tried sounding casual, intrigued, but the tension could still be cut with a knife, and Marianne didn’t dare look at Bog.

“Mah father was part fairy, therefore the wings.” He rattled them to make a point, and Marianne swallowed nervously.

“Right. So, possible.”

She hadn’t even considered that. She had dreamt of starting a family at some point, but the years with Roland, and the hardships of being the queen, had left her tired and not to mention busy. Marianne had never noticed how often her mother had been absent as a child, but now that she thought of it, it _had_ been a lot.

“Roland and I… he wanted to. I suppose it was a security blanket, should I ever try to get rid of him. Gods, am I glad we didn’t manage to put little ones into this world.”

She did look at Bog now. “But I suppose… after some years? I wouldn’t mind it with you.”

Marianne couldn’t read the look in his eyes, and she hoped she hadn’t said the wrong thing.

“Ah woud’ be… honored.”

Her heart skipped a beat, and her breath caught in her throat. She was feeling an odd sense of longing now, even though he stood mere feet away from her, she wanted nothing but to get closer, to sink into his very being and just fall asleep there.

“Your father was part fairy?” 

That was it? That was the only thing she could say? It was all she could do to distract herself anyway.

It caught him off guard, and he braced himself at the edge of the tub, suddenly torn from his stupor.  
“Yes. Ah think it was mah, great grandfather? A little down th’ bloodline, but fairy blood no less.”

He started getting into the water, keeping any pressure off of his injured arm and shoulder, so the maneuver was quite clumsy.  
She could see him relax a lot more though as he seated himself, and he let out a sigh of relief. 

“Hm, interesting. So, he too, courted a fairy?” she tried to tease, but she was still a bit shaken at the image of Bog and her... one day. It was a good kind of shaken after all.

“It was more like, fallin’ in love, elopin’ an’ getting caught. They never married, but had one kid together, my grandmother.”

“And they were royalty?” She moved closer to the edge of the tub, leaning down on her arms, drawing circles in the water with her fingers.  
When she looked up she saw Bog was staring at her fingers.

“The throne of the Dark forest can be… won. Mah grandmother won it from th’ previous queen who ruled. Then she became queen, got married, and had my father.”

Marianne looked at Bog, surely curiosity was written on her face, and he met her eyes this time. “She defeated the queen in battle. She… killed her.”

Her fingers stopped moving. She knew goblin culture was different, and she had heard of Kings and Queens being overthrown in other kingdoms.  
Her family had been the royal bloodline for decades though, and she’d never considered…

“Well… if that’s how things are.” She looked crestfallen. If something were to happen to Bog, because of his status? It was goblin culture and traditions after all - she had just never considered that Bog wouldn’t be here. Wouldn’t be King.

“We have allies now. Ah’ve been challenged before, but always won. When news spread we made allies with the Fairfields, challengers have become scarce.”

She couldn’t tell if this was a good, or a bad thing, as Bogs’ face portrayed neither of those emotions.  
“I… would help you. I mean, if you’d let me. If someone were to burst in here right now and challenge you, I hope you know I’d protect you.”

He smiled at that, and Marianne started to draw circles in the water again.  
“Relocating the castle, defending your title, getting crushed by unsecured rocks - sounds stressful.  
I’m just going to meetings, discussing new laws, making sure my kingdom doesn’t fall apart.” She quipped.

“Oh, woud’ you like ta take over? Ah’m sure the goblins wouldn’t mind ye doin’ my job fer a day or two.”

“I _am_ doing your job, that was the point - we could pretty much swap places and no one would notice.”

“Now, tha’s an idea.”

They both laughed at that, as the water got grimy from the mud washing off of Bogs’ body.  
She looked at the streams of mud, and a thought came to her.

“You know what’s odd, and yet totally normal?” She said as she straightened back up and walked around the tub to stand behind Bog.  
“Wh- what?” He coughed, as he couldn’t see her anymore.

She leaned down, suddenly feeling braver after their session of shared complaints.  
“You’re, well, naked - right now.”

It had occurred to her that, even though Bog never wore clothing, seeing him like this made him seem even more naked than usual.  
After all, if she were to join him, she’d need to disrobe, at least to not soak the only outfit that she brought with her.

“Ah.. am always naked. Ah guess, by yer standards anyways.”

“Sure, but usually taking a bath equals stripping down, so I conclude that you’re more naked than usual.”  
It was a stupid reason, but she was feeling bold.  
_You’d wanted to go here to be close to him, to touch him. Now; touch him!_

“Ah… suppose. Marianne, what are ye-”  
He shut his mouth abruptly as her fingers started to rub at his injured arm, though careful not to apply too much pressure.

“Does it hurt?” She was genuinely concerned.

“It throbs a bit, but no… ye did good earlier, t’s feelin’ better.”

“Good”. And with that she started rubbing at the patches of mud along his arms, scrubbing it off of him as he stayed perfectly still as if frozen completely.  
She smiled at that notion, at what her touch could do to him.

Once Marianne concluded that the injured arm was clean, she set to scrub the shoulder plating. She scooped up some water and rubbed it in between the plating, using her nails to dig out any grit she could find, and she could feel how Bog was starting to… vibrate?

“Are you, o-” She didn’t manage to finish, as the water splurged against the edge of the tub, courtesy of Bog turning around to face her. He lingered close enough to her face that she didn’t even notice that her tunic had gotten wet.

“Tha’, is very dangerous.” His eyelids drooped as he looked at her, and she felt her pulse race. Well, that turned into something very dangerous indeed - but, screw it. A _year_ of beating around the bush had to be more than enough.

“Well, I told you I would help you get cleaned. You asked me to do so, remember?”

He swallowed as his eyes dropped to her lips. “Mhmm.” Was all he said, and Marianne couldn’t help but lean in and kiss him.


	4. Like dark Pebbles on the Riverbed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He let her step back as she reached around her back to unbutton her tunic.   
> She stepped out of it and kept her eyes on Bog as she removed her boots, stripped off her leggings, and soon she was standing in nothing but her undergarments in front of the king of the Dark forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marianne and Bog share a bath together.

She had meant it to be quick and teasing, something about turning him back around and forcing him to sit still as she would continue washing him, get him worked up. But as he kissed her back she lost all sense of that plan, and simply sighed into his mouth.

Marianne felt a hand caress her cheek, and in response, she draped her arms around his neck and drew him closer. She felt him murmur against her lips, and even though she couldn’t make out what he was saying, the motions were heavenly. The taste of him would never get dull to her either.  
He tasted like spring water and moss, so clear and light, yet dark and looming, and Marianne bit his lower lip to draw a sharp gasp from him.

He smiled against her, his hand on her cheek moving to cradle the back of her head as he angled them to get better access to her mouth. And then he ravished her. That was the only word for it. His kisses were devouring her, and she could do nothing but just go along with it.  
They were just kissing, lips closed, but yet it felt like a sin to her.

“ _ Yer _ dangerous.”

The words were moaned against her mouth and made her shiver all over again. “Can I join you?”  
It was all she could think of, all she wanted to do - she was cold, or so she told herself, and Bog was warm.  
“Ye’ll get dirty.” He whispered.

“Of course” she smiled. “That was the plan.”

He let her step back as she reached around her back to unbutton her tunic. She stepped out of it and kept her eyes on Bog as she removed her boots, stripped off her leggings, and soon she was standing in nothing but her undergarments in front of the king of the Dark forest.  
It was the first time he had ever seen her like this, and the look on his face was worth everything she had ever gone through to get to this moment.

“The tunic got wet when you turned around, which made me cold.” She said without letting go of his gaze, and he seemed to wake up at that.

“Th’ water’s warm.”

“Tempting.”

Gone were the nervous frights of the past. She knew what she wanted; it was why she had come here after all.  _ I need him. _

The removal of her top was done slowly. He had almost seen her in it before that night at the balcony when all she wore on top of it was her nightgown made of spider silk. She didn’t want to wear a corset, something that her father lamented, as he was of one of the last generations that thought the corset made a woman look noble.

Marianne was never one for tradition anyway, so she had simply tied some strands of silk together, to keep everything topside in place. She untied it and let the strands fall, and though she wasn’t sure Bog knew the meaning of the covering, the sight of her revealing herself made his pupils dilate.  
She sighed as the garment fell away, and though the air in the room was plenty damp, she shuddered at the feeling of it on her skin.

Bog reached for her, and she automatically stepped closer.  
“Roland never… he thought I was too small.”

She frowned at the memory. Though she had grown to strengthen herself and to love her body, his words would always creep back.  _ Petite girls can be fun too, I guess! _

“ _ Yer _ perfect.” He looked her in the eyes when he said that, and she gasped as his hands snaked around her sides to caress her. This was it; they were going to be naked together and though that didn’t mean something would absolutely happen, it was further than they’d ever taken things before.  
He seemed intrigued by her breasts, but when he drew in to kiss her skin, it was placed just above her navel.  
“T-tease.” She laughed.

“Ah woud’ never.”  
She gasped as his tongue dragged up her skin, his teeth nibbling gently as he traced her ribs. All breath escaped her as he went on - sucking at her and licking at the mark it left, it was bliss and torture at the same time, and Marianna swore under her breath.

“I didn’t know you’d tried this before!”   
He pulled back, seeming a little embarrassed. “Ah… read up on it?”

Never had she been caught so off guard.  
“You… Did?” She stared, unblinkingly at him - He did? Did he read up on… lovemaking? For her?  
“Well, Ah didn’t want ta’ disappoint, shoud’ the moment ever arrive...” He drew back to sit upright, shoulder plates flaring in embarrassment, his hands almost leaving her sides until she grasped them with her own.

“I  _ love _ that you did that.” She reassured, then she leaned in and kissed his nose, a quick, lovable peck that colored him red as much as her words did. “Don’t think I don’t appreciate it, I  _ really _ do.”

He let out a huff and his shoulder plates relaxed once more.  
It was  _ so _ endearing, so sweet, and the most considerate thing any man had ever done for her. Roland would never have, anyway.  
“Um, are you okay to continue? Or would you rather get cleaned up, as per the intention with this whole scenario?” She teased.

His answer was to inch closer again and grab her by the arm to tug her towards him.   
She chuckled as he smirked at her, and soon they were only inches apart as Marianne started to drag down her bottoms with her one free hand.  
Their mouths crashed together once again as she shook the cloth off of her foot, and soon she was climbing into the tub to join Bog in the damp water.

He moved back to prop up against the other end of the stone structure, and Marianne followed him, their lips finding each other once again.   
Each kiss brought the sensation of lightning shooting up her nerves, and as she reached him, she situated herself in his lap, desperate to touch him.  
The roughness of his scales against her thighs had her mewling, and she felt him smile into her mouth.

Not one to be outdone, she let her tongue brush against his lips, and Bog sighed contentedly as he parted them to let her in. As her tongue met his, the taste of him from before became even more evident, and it made her head swim with ecstasy. Their tongues clashed together, snaking around each other, her exploration of his mouth grew more heated with every passing second.  
She moaned into his mouth, and he growled in response, his hands raking up her sides once more to grab at her skin.  
  
She purred against him, letting go of his lips to bite at his neck and suck at the surprisingly smooth skin she found there. Most of him was covered in scales, so this was a whole new sensation to her.  
He grabbed her harder and pressed her against him as she bit down on him, reveling in the sharp hiss that escaped him.  
“Yah  _ minx.” _

Suddenly, the thought that this was the first time she was completely naked with him flew at her like an angry wasp, and Mariannes’ heart began to pound.  
She was no naive teenager anymore, she had her experience, and she had every right to do whatever she wanted - even if it would be scandalizing to her kingdom.

Bog had been hesitant in the past, sometimes not even bold enough to sneak a kiss in between meetings or in the hallways of either of their castles. And yet he seemed different tonight, much more hungry and impatient.

“Guilty as charged… But only with you. You know.”

He looked at her, his eyes crystal blue and filled with honest yearning and adoration.  
Bog moved to kiss her forehead this time, and Marianne felt her heart flutter at the gesture “How did Ah ever get so lucky?”

She chuckled at the sentiment, a light, and free sound, and Marianne had never felt so alive.  
She dragged her hands up his arms, noticing how the dirt and grime were coming off, and got an idea.

“Well, since I am wet now anyway, how about we go about actually getting you clean?”  
  
She had honest intentions, actually, and if they ended out having not so honest results, well - she wouldn’t mind. She wanted nothing more than to lie at his side, in his bed, and just be with him, but she was pretty sure ridding him of all the mud would make that a much more pleasurable experience.

“Woud’ be a waste to nah get clean, seein’ as we filled the tub an’ all.”  
He didn’t sound disappointed, but also didn’t sound all that genuine either. She was being a spoilsport, and she loved how it affected him.  
_ He is really bold tonight. _

“Indeed.”

He needn’t worry though, because she wasn’t at all finished with him yet.  
To emphasize this, Marianne dragged her hands across his chest, watching as the mud scattered and floated to the surface in clouds of murk. She dug her fingernails into his plating, making sure to  _ scratch _ at him, and had he been a fairy, hard enough to leave marks.  
His response was to suck air in through his teeth again, and while his hands grabbed the sides of the tub respectively, his eyes focused on her face as she simply hummed while working.

She dragged her hands down his sides, racking her nails down and watching as more mud gathered like swirling clouds. Grit and pebbles fell to the bottom of the tub, and as she rubbed her thumbs into him, she could feel the muscles spasm beneath as he closed his eyes and groaned.  
Moving onto his hips, she ground into the joints where they met his  _ impossibly _ long legs, sliding her hands down to rub at his thighs, and this time her eyes lifted to catch his.  
Only, they were closed and his brow was endearingly furrowed, his mouth a thin line.

Not wanting to ruin that absolutely perfect expression, she continued her ministrations, though she realized that, if she wanted to wash all the way down his legs to his feet, she would probably fall backward.  
_ And that would be an absolute mood-killer. _

So, instead, she shifted closer to him, ghosted her hands back up his hips to the small of his back, and kneaded her hands into the base of his spine.

“AH, Ma- _ Marianne!”  
  
_ The water splashed over the edge of the tub once more, as Bog sat up straight in a fit of surprise. Marianne bumped into his chest, smacking her face against his plates, her hands finding purchase on his hips once more as she steadied herself.

“OW! - Are you okay?! I’m sorry, did it hurt?”

She was frantic and out of it in a second, fearing that, perhaps it wasn’t only his shoulder that had been injured.

He scrambled to steady her, his face red and his pupils shrunken with panic.  
“NO - no, eh.. It’s, Ah… Ah got a sensitive...back. Did Ah hurt ye?”

They stilled, looked at each other for what seemed like an eternity, and then they both burst into laughter.  
“I take it back, we’re no better at this than when we started.” She chortled.

He snorted at that, his hands affirmatively rubbing her arms before he brought them back into the water to rest at her sides.  
“Aye, we need a bit of practice, eh?” He continued laughing, though lower, and while looking at her again.

She brought a hand to her face to wipe away a stray tear as she kept laughing, her other hand moving to his stomach to feel the rumble there, caused by his tapering chuckling.  
“We’ll get there.”

She smiled at him, kissed his lips, and started clearing off the dirt from just above his navel. To her surprise, he wasn’t as ticklish as she’d hoped and simply watched her, pupils dilating once again as she worked circles into his abdomen.

  
“You know, this is nice.” It was nice. It was calm, soothing, and the most relaxing thing she had gotten to do in a while. Sure, they were new to this, but she found that they both handled this next step in their relationship very well.  
Besides the small accidents, this didn’t feel awkward or forced to her, and Bog hadn’t shied away from any of it.

“Mm, ‘ts” He hummed.

It was a good thing this stone structure was big enough to fit both of them, while also being comfortable enough that she could sorta spread her wings over the surface. She did so, undoubtedly covering the bottom of the tub in a purple hue.  
Wet wings were nothing to jump for joy over, but once in a while, a little moisture wouldn’t hurt, and actually strengthened them by adding to their flexibility and general health.

Bogs’ wings were also dipped into the water, and she figured, since they looked so much like dragonfly wings, that they benefited from the water even more so.

“So… You’ve got a  _ sensitive _ back, huh?” She teased.

In truth, Marianne wasn’t quite ready to admit that the area around her wings was pretty sensitive too, and she figured it must come from his fairy blood then.  
She would need to remind herself to show him just how to rile her up with her wings - later anyway.

“Always had. Ah admit Ah always thought of it as a burden. Now Ahm not so sure.”

“Oh trust me, it’s a burden. I am  _ so _ going to take advantage of this information.”

He chuckled, the sound rich and going straight to her core. She felt her heart flutter at the quip, and she leaned in to place her head against his chest, her knees drawing up to lean against his sides.  
“Water’s starting to get a little lukewarm… we could, you know…  _ actually _ get you cleaned and, continue this in your bed?”

He rubbed at her sides, his clawed fingers caressing her ribs, making her shudder against him, her eyelids drooping.

“Sounds like a plan.”


	5. Be Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Count on Bog to have more sense than her, to suggest such an absolute boring, yet splendid idea.  
> Though she was the one that had stopped this thing, to be fair.
> 
> Her core was still pulsing, needing something there to fill the void that had accumulated these past 4 years. Her heart sang out to him too, she noted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A proposal.

Marianne let her fingers glide over the moss cover, relishing the texture and bunching her fingers into it. It was so _soft_ .  
Her body was heated from inside and out, the bath from earlier had left her tired, yet _electric_ at the same time.  
Bog emerged from the washroom, having finished draining the tub, and looking all shiny.  
  
His scales were shining with the water dripping off of them, and Marianne thought of black pebbles at the bottom of the stream near her home as she looked at him.  
He was gorgeous.  
  
She sat down at the edge of the bed, and then she let herself fall back against the soft padding. She was still naked, completely, but - for some reason, she didn’t feel the need to cover herself.  
This felt like a slumber party, in a way. A safe space where she didn’t need to hide anything.  
She looked up at Bog, who had walked around the bed to stand in front of her, his eyes taking her in.

“You can speak if you want.” She drawled, and he huffed out a burst of air as if he couldn’t believe how lucky he was. He didn’t say anything though.  
  
Instead, he leaned down, and Marianne scooted backward towards the headboard, her head finding pillows of moss that her hair tangled into.  
Her wings quivered with anticipation as he followed her, settled with a hand on either side of her head, and stared down at her with those eyes of his.  
She noticed a slight shake in his injured shoulder.  
  
She patted the arm gently, and motioned her head to the side, implying that she wanted him to lay down. He caught the meaning, but simply leaned down on his elbows - and then he kissed her again.  
Their bodies grew flush against one another as he lowered his weight on her. It felt so safe, so _secure_ without being too heavy, and the feeling of being so close to him had her shuddering.  
  
“ _Bog..”_ It was a whisper against his lips, and it made him growl in response - the sound traveling through her body like an echo.  
Heat was rushing down her skin, across her stomach, and settling at her toes. It had been _years_ since she and Roland had done something like this, and those years of negligence were starting to show their effect.  
  
She writhed against him, lifting her hips to find any sort of friction, and his hands flew to her hair as they carded into it and scratched at her scalp.  
“ _Don’t stop!”  
  
_ She was breathless. He was kissing into her mouth now, and she was gasping for air - though if he thought for even a second to let go of her lips, she would surely kill him.  
  
He withdrew and kissed at the corner of her mouth.  
“I told you not to sto-”  
But then he bit at the column of her neck, trailing a hot tongue after the pain, lathing it with pleasure and soothing the skin. She hiccuped and her hands grabbed at his sides, fingernails digging into his scales to find his skin  
beneath. He hissed and bit her again, lapping at the bruise it left only seconds later, following with a wet streak up her neck towards her ear.  
  
He sucked at the skin there, and soon one of his hands left her hair to tease at her side, ghosting just at the outside of her breast by the ribs.  
She was breathless once again. _He did do his homework!_ _  
_Never had she felt so cherished, so _worshipped!_ And it felt like heaven, even though he was just touching her!  
  
“ _Mariaaaaanne...”  
  
_ She could hear he was as breathless as her, gusting her name over her damp skin like a prayer to the heavens. When she felt him ground against her, his hips moving in languid strokes, bumping his crotch against her own, she almost _sang_ .  
“Good _GODS..!”  
  
_ She was wet, _very wet._ Her clit was swollen and throbbing against the friction - friction that was nowhere near enough, and yet so deliciously dangerous. They weren’t married though, she noted. This was not some sort of consummation, this was _forbidden._

Even Roland had to wait to touch her like this, to hear her whisper such sweet nothings. She was a queen, which means certain things were expected of her.  
 _Damn that, he is_ **_here_ ** _! I could just-  
  
_ _“Ye’ve, haaah, no a-ahdea how much AH! - Want yeh rait naow!”_

His words raced through her veins. He was probably thinking the same thing as her, and she didn’t know how he had the strength to just - do nothing! Because this was nothing, right? Wasn’t dangerous, not going the whole way, not like…

“They would see th, AH - t-the marks, _oohh,_ and think we d-did it ANYway!” She shrieked, the friction of his scales at her core leaving her shuddering and wanting. He only groaned in response, and Marianne marveled at his restraint.

Though it was probably for the better, right?. She was already given weird looks by other ruling monarchs, and those stares had edged themselves into her mind. A divorced queen was an odd one, and she certainly felt  
alienated from her kind lately. She wondered what they would think… what they would _say_ if she ever married Bog.

A fairy and a goblin, wouldn’t that be something?

He hummed against her skin, and the vibrations flung her attention back towards this man that had nothing but love for her. It was maddening - they weren’t allowed to, and yet!  
 _You’re the queen! You get to say what is, and isn’t permitted damn it!_

“ _Tha’s a p-point! Marianne, but-”  
  
_ He trailed off, panting into her skin, and something whispered at the back of her mind as she was driven further towards insanity. An impulse, a _need_ , and a promise of sorts - if only she’d just let go, let herself have this - but… she couldn’t.  
She pushed at his chest, and the motion was startling enough that he went backward, onto his side as she kept pushing, and then onto his back - and she wasn’t slow to follow and straddle his hips.

“I’m, hah, so tired of tradition.” She took the moment to catch her breath, looking down at the goblin beneath her.  
He looked debauched; eyes dark, lips swollen and glistening, no doubt matching her own, and chest heaving. She caressed his stomach, drawing a line with her hands up his chest, and settling them there, her body sagging.

His hands found her hips once more, and she expected him to grab at them, but he caressed them with a tenderness she sometimes forgot he could possess.  
  
“Ah know. Ahm’m, haah, sorry. We coud’ try an’ sleep? J-Just havin’ ye close woud’ be... more than enough”

Count on Bog to have more sense than her, to suggest such an absolute boring, yet splendid idea. Though she was the one that had stopped this thing, to be fair.  
Her core was still pulsing, _needing_ something there to fill the void that had accumulated these past 4 years. Her heart sang out to him too, she noted.  
  
“I am so… Stupid. I came here because I missed you, missed being close to you. Of course, I should’ve known I couldn’t help myself.”  
She looked off to the side, speaking more to herself than to him, at that moment.

“No! Ah shoudna have… some teasin’ is nah, Ah mean - this probably is, too much, but…”  
He let his head sink into the pillow beneath him.  
“Yer rait - nah about ye bein’ stupid, of course, but… we shoud wait.”

“I don’t want to though.”

She probably looked like a defiant child, her mouth a thin line, and her eyes cold and angry with herself - with tradition. She was so torn.   
She was not a kid anymore, not a teenager, not even a young adult, and yet she found herself constrained by such things as _“that’s a no-no, bad.”  
_ _Make up your mind! This is torture, for both of you!_

He breathed out a laugh, his eyes closing and his hands grabbing her tighter, reassuring her.  
“Ah know. Neither do Ah.”

_They wouldn’t know. You could easily cover the marks, pretend nothing happened._

_  
_She looked back down at him, and saw he was simply waiting for her to either lie down beside him or…  
  
“This is yer decision. As Ah said, sleeping woud’ be enough.” He opened his eyes back up to look at her, though she couldn’t read his expression.

Great - Her decision. As if her head wasn’t swimming with hormones already, _she_ had to choose?  
“What about your traditions? As king, aren’t you expected to wait?”

He smiled, a little awkwardly, though she didn’t quite know why.  
“Goblins don’t care about such things. Ah can do whatever Ah want… as long as Ah don’t burn t’ forest down.”

That was so unfair, but also explained why Griselda was so fixed on leaving her in Bogs’ room. Goblins had different traditions and seems coupling was less, well, _strict_ in regards to rules.

“No fair.”  
She brought up a palm to rub at her eyes, her skin starting to feel colder every passing second. She felt like a teenager right now - so, rash and impatient. _So bad._

“Ah’m sorry. This is as much mah fault as well - Ah was _so_ happy to see ye, an-”

“Almost getting crushed can make you do unusual things - don’t worry.”

He didn’t seem to appreciate the joke as much as she’d hoped, though his mouth did curve a little at the corners.  
“Ah didn’t need a near-death experience ta kno’ Ah wanted this… Ah, have. For a while.”

“Really?” She lit up. Of course, it was obvious that Bog _wanted_ her, he had told her he loved her several times now - but it still sent a thrill through her to know he… _wanted,_ wanted her. Like this; just the two of them.

His cheeks darkened once more as he looked off to the side “Donnae tease me - Ah’ve never-”

“If we’re being honest, I found you pretty damn hot the first time I met you. All tall, angry, and commanding. I almost swooned, so you can imagine I was also quite angry with you.”

This got him to look at her, his expression comical, and Marianne had to restrain herself from laughing.

“I have no doubts. It’s meant to be you… it was always you.”

Hopefully, he wouldn’t take it the wrong way. She didn’t want that to be an excuse to just “get it on”, because she meant it. Every last word.  
“You listen to me and you respect me… I hope anyway, and I respect you so much! Everything you’ve done, every moment spent with you has been so _magical_! I didn’t think I’d ever get to experience something like this.”

Her eyes were hopeful, and she felt herself shake with the effort. Her heart had been heavily guarded for almost 4 years now, and it almost hurt to let someone in like this.

When he didn’t say anything she almost wanted to cry - why wasn’t he saying anything? Did he think she was being silly? He did, didn’t he?!  
 _Great, now it’s awkward… just, don’t say anything else! Pouring everything out at once could be too much, and-_

“I know it’s only been a year… but it’s been the best year so far, in a _long_ time and.. I _really_ love you.”  
 _Smooth._

She felt one of his hands wipe away a tear that had somehow leaked down her cheek. She hadn’t even noticed she was crying. She felt so silly, but his hand was so warm, and she couldn’t help but lean into it.  
  
“Marry me.”

It was the first thing he said since she started rambling, and it struck her like a lightning bolt.  
She sat up straight, and if her hands pushed all the air from his lungs with the force, he didn’t seem to notice.  
  
“Wh--what?”

He shrunk back a little, a stern look mixed with uncertainty on his face, but he didn’t deter.  
“Marianne. Ah never thought Ah’d meet someone like ye. Ah want t’ spend the rest of mah days with ye.”

“Y-you…” Now she knew she was crying. Tears streaming down her face, her vision getting blurry. She searched her heart for apprehension, for any sort of doubt. It was bared and open and completely unguarded, and she  
couldn’t remember the last time it felt so light - So young. Her shoulders started to shake, and a flash of panic crossed Bog’s face- couldn’t have that. Not when she had finally decided.  
“Yes!”  
  
 _One year of courtship? Absolutely enough.  
  
_ She rushed down to kiss him at the same time he rose to meet her, and their foreheads bumped together with a loud clunk. They both retracted, laughing, and Marianne felt her heart jump and flutter in excitement.

“This is so cheesy - Dawn would _love_ this.”

“Ah’m pretty sure we’re not tha’ first people lyin’ naked together, where one decides ta’ propose.” 

She steadied her breath and decided that she was actually, deeply in love with this goblin beneath her. She mulled his words over, making an endearing expression where she looked like she was really thinking about his statement.  
“You know, I think you’re right.”

He chuckled and lifted a hand to caress her forehead with his thumb, the pain from earlier dulling the moment he touched her, and Marianne sighed into his touch.

“I love you.”

“Ah love you, too.”


	6. We are Not So Different

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All air escaped her lungs at that last word. He was beautiful, but she understood his doubts. They were different, some would probably say too different, but Marianne had found that she didn’t care about that anymore.   
> She wasn’t sure she’d ever cared about it to be perfectly honest.
> 
> Love and attraction was a personal taste, and she’d always found it odd that other people thought they had any say in that. Why would they care who she loved? Was the important thing not, that she did love?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marianne and Bog takes their relationship to the next level.

She gently grasped his cheek in her palm, getting lost in his eyes as they went closer to one another - a bit slower this time, so as to not smack heads again.  
She felt his other hand ghost down her neck, over her shoulders to settle at her ribs again, his claws leaving trails of electricity on her skin.

Marianne leaned down and gently brushed her lips against his, her eyes drooping as he sighed against her mouth, his hand at her side grasping her more firmly.  
“Screw traditions. I’m ready if you are.” She whispered against his lips.

He chuckled against her mouth, the sound lifting her soul and making her feel light as a feather. “Ye sure?”  
_ Don’t ask that, just do it. _

Her answer came by kissing him more fervently, drawing a gasp from him that she relished in. She bit his lower lip, earning a moan this time and her wings fluttered as they slowly rose behind them, drawing them into a world of royal purple.  
Bog opened his eyes and she saw the purple hues reflected in them - they fit so well together.

“Let’s just take it slow - savor this?”

He hummed affirmatively, raising himself onto an elbow to caress her hair, cradling her face at her ear, and drawing his other hand down to her hip.  
He kneaded the flesh there, reawakening her body as it started to feel all tingly and warm once more.  
She carefully ground her hips against him, delighted that he groaned and grabbed her hip harder in response.

His tongue entered her mouth, gliding over her teeth to meet her own, and she readily welcomed him with fervor. In the meantime, his hand found her thigh and the thumb started to caress the inside of it, dangerously close to where she wanted it to go.

“ _ Touch me,” _ She pleaded.

Bog seemed hesitant at first, but it didn’t take long till his thumb inched closer to her sex, and Marianne vibrated with anticipation. It had been so long since anyone but herself had touched her there, and she had to admit; it had been a long time since her own fingers had been enough to sate her.

The reaction was instant. She gasped for air as his hand moved to cover her, his thumb pushing at her clit as his index finger dragged along her folds.  
He nibbled at her chin, groaning into her skin as his hips canted upwards to encase his hand against her, trapping it between them.

“P- _ please Bog, _ I-”

He carefully inserted a clawed finger into her, dragging it slowly against her, and this time it was his turn to gasp out loud. She was wet, and she knew it. It had taken her no time to get into this state again, and it was because she had secretly hoped they wouldn’t stop.  
She had been a little wary of his claws, but nothing snagged or hurt even the slightest. It felt  _ wonderful _ .

“Grrnnng, yer so-”

His finger drew in to the knuckle, bending slightly and Marianne pressed down against it to drag it in further. “Bog - please! I, I  _ can’t _ !”  
Bog bit at her neck again, this time on the other side, undoubtedly to leave more marks for the morning.  
Her wings fluttered and shook, the feeling of some part of him inside her heavenly, but not nearly enough!  
His thumb started drawing circles around her clitoris, pushing at her and revving her up to the point where she was gasping every few seconds.

Her back straightened as he added another finger inside her, speeding up the circling motions of his thumb as the two fingers now started to pump in and out of her.  
“Is - is this okay? Ah’ve never-”

“Yes! Yes, just -  _ don’t _ stop!”

He groaned in affirmation, kissing at the shell of her ear as the hand that wasn’t busy below drew her closer to him. She draped both arms around his neck, scratching at his shoulder plates as his fingers sped up.  
She hid her head in the crook of his neck, drugging herself on his smell. She felt a familiar coil in her stomach - a pressure that would spread to her core, only rising with every passing stroke Bog administered to her sex.

Orgasms had lost their appeal to her over the years. Sometimes they were necessary to get rid of unwanted tension, sometimes she needed them to feel…  _ Something.  
_ This. This was not one of those instances, and for some reason she felt herself climbing faster than ever before, her hips grounding down to meet his upstrokes.  
She choked on air as lightning went up her spine - she was close, and he certainly wasn’t slowing down!

“AH- B- _ BOG!” _

A hard twist against her clit sent her wings cracking open with a snap as she saw stars and her whole body started to shake. Something inside her sprung to life as she came on a silent scream, probably hurting Bog with how hard she grabbed at his back plating.  
He simply held her through it, his thumb never stopping its onslaught on her, and as she started to calm down Marianne found she felt absolutely  _ boneless. _

“Holy - tha, hhaa, that was…  _ where _ did you learn that?”

She was panting,  _ hard _ , and smiled at the way he cleared his throat.  
“Ah…  _ read _ tha best way to, eh… stimulate was, eh…”

“You’re amazing.” She placed a languid kiss on his cheek.

“So, tha was… good?”

He had no idea! He had no experience as far as she was concerned, and he just - that was one of the best orgasms she had had in years!  
“It was  _ perfect. -  _ I am going to need the book you read because that was spot on.”

She allowed herself a couple of more seconds to calm down, electricity, and a tingling still running through her veins.  
“‘M glad t’ hear tha.”

Was there a tint of smugness in his tone? There definitely was - he was being smug!  
She looked at him and saw the pride in his eyes and the corner of a canine sticking out of his mouth - his facing donning a grin she absolutely loved and also couldn’t wait to rid him off.

“ _ Oh, _ you smug bastard, don’t think we’re done yet.” She drawled as she dragged a hand against his torso. She followed this up by leaning in to kiss him, effectively ridding him of that infuriating smile.  
“Whatever mah lady wants~"

“Prick.”

“Try me.”

Oh, she  _ would. _ He had no idea what so many years of almost nothing could do to a person.  
Still, she also didn’t want it to be too much for him - he was new at this. They could always lose themselves, but tonight - she wanted tonight to be special.

“Tell me what to do.”

He drew back a bit, obviously a little less bold now.  
She leaned her forehead against his, their eyes meeting and she saw fear in his.  
Marianne offered a smile, and luckily he accepted it. She brought a hand up to cusp his cheek, and she was delighted to see him learn into it, eyes drooping.

Several thoughts flashed across his expression as the seconds ticked by, but Marianne didn’t want to rush him. She knew all too well how it felt to be rushed and pressured into something like this, and just how much it could hurt you. How much it could damage a person’s soul.

Then his expression shifted as his features grew from stiff to relaxed, and Marianne felt a rush of air go through her as he grabbed her wrist gently in his hand.  
He didn’t say anything as he guided it downwards as he slowly sat up.  
She scooted back a bit, accommodating herself better between his legs, and soon she was staring up into those blue eyes as her hand found his crotch.

He was a deep crimson, but he didn’t deter, his eyes holding hers in a vice as he guided her hand into grabbing at him, showing her how to drag her palm against the scales.  
He trusted her, and he wanted her. Marianne felt a rush of pride, because… even though he’d just made her climax, she knew he was hesitant about sex in general. So this was a big step.

She scooted in closer, touching her lips to his, letting her eyes droop as her hand glided along unguided, his own flying down to grab at the moss beneath them.  
She felt how his fangs grit as she sped up her hand while twisting it every which way.  
Marianne was looking for signs in his reactions - little nods to what he liked and what sort of motions drew the best sounds from him.

She dug her fingernails gently into the plating, dragging them down and then ghosting the tip of her fingers over that same area immediately after.  
Bog groaned, his eyes closing and an expression torn between pain and pleasure prominent on his face.

She ground the heel of her hand against him, and Bog tilted his head slightly back with a cry, his brow furrowing and his lips growing thin.

Marianne hadn’t known what to expect, and as she felt the plating shift and part, she almost didn’t dare to look.  
She felt it first. It was warm, slick, and  _ very _ phallus-shaped, and Marianne caught herself gasping at the feel of it.  
Bog wasn’t opening his eyes, but simply holding his breath as he waited for her to… well, to do anything.

Steadying her breathing and trying to calm down, she finally looked down and saw… him. He was nothing like Roland. She hadn’t expected him to be - She had  _ hoped _ he wouldn’t be.  
Bog was smooth, yet ridged? The entire shaft was glistening and felt like silk, with ridges along the sides and colored a deep, dark grey. He was of moderate size, thicker at the base and ending in a slighter thinner tip, the head of him wasn’t as pronounced, but still present.

He didn’t look that different, actually, and Marianne found that she didn’t mind the appearance of him at all. In fact, it  _ excited  _ her.

“You are…”

“Is alriet if ye don-”

“...beautiful.”

All air escaped her lungs at that last word. He was beautiful, but she understood his doubts. They  _ were _ different, some would probably say  _ too _ different, but Marianne had found that she didn’t care about that anymore. She wasn’t sure she’d ever cared about it to be perfectly honest.  
Love and attraction was a personal taste, and she’d always found it odd that other people thought they had any say in that. Why would they care who she loved? Was the important thing not, that she  _ did _ love?  
  
Bog finally opened his eyes a little, though his expression didn’t change. She couldn’t bear seeing him like that, and thus she leaned closer against him, carefully taking him in hand.

“ _ Very _ beautiful. I’ll be honest and say I didn’t know what to expect, but  _ this.”  
_ She dragged her hand up the shaft, encasing it in her fingers and twisting her hand slightly as she reached the head.

“This is  _ gorgeous.” _

Bog groaned whilst sucking air in through his teeth, and Marianne didn’t know whether the reaction was spurred by her words or her actions - she hoped it was both.

Her body still felt very relaxed after what had just occurred, but she slowly felt it stirring to life again - the anticipation of what he would  _ feel _ like enough to get her toes curling.

She kept her hand going at a steady, slow pace, taking her time on the upstrokes, watching with delight as Bog took it all in with his features painted by surprise, agony, and deep pleasure.

She watched as his plating shifted, how the muscles in his abdomen spasmed ever so slightly, and how his chest expanded at the hard intakes of air he indulged in every now and then.  
Each reaction from him spurred her on, and her breathing grew labored with his, her cheeks flushing red and her heart beating as her hand grew faster.  
“Yer - haaAH, g-good at th-tha!”

She felt herself smile, a blush creeping up her neck. How adorable that he’d think that - she would be sure to give him the full experience.  
He groaned, his thighs slightly shaking and his brows drawing together. He had closed his eyes again and clenched his teeth slightly, and Marianne felt a rush of power strike through her. She had the goblin King at her mercy, at his most vulnerable, and she  _ loved it.  
_ Suddenly she was shifted back - a hand cradling the back of her head and another at her side, holding her against Bog as he lunged at her to guide her gently onto her back.

“Yes, ye are good a’ tha - a scandalous thing fer a  _ Queen _ ta be good at - don’t ye think?”

He towered above her, his eyes hooded and his wings slightly vibrating above them, and Marianne felt a rush of heat gather between her legs. She swallowed, feeling her heart hammering behind her breastbone.

“Don’t blame me - I am not as innocent as you think.” She drawled back at him, a challenge if she had ever heard one, but  _ oh _ did she want to challenge him.

She had to be brave now, that was for certain. This was a shift she hadn’t expected from him. Suddenly he was all predatory above her, a smile on his face and a dangerous look in his eyes. She noticed how a canine was stuck on his lip, and she shuddered at how sharp it was.

“Mmm, yes. Ah suppose not.”

He leaned down to the point where he could ghost his lips above hers, his shoulders plates shifting slightly, and Marianne almost whimpered.  _ Kiss me.  
_ And he did.

The kiss was slow, heated, and extremely warm. He was languid in the movements of his lips against hers, his tongue breaching her ever so slowly - scorching her mouth as it entered, and tangling with hers in a way that made every nerve stand on edge.

Marianne felt her eyes roll back as she closed them, enjoying the taste of him - the texture of his sharp teeth, a prick of ice against their smoldering heat.  
She moaned into his mouth as his hands came up to grab more firmly at her sides, his thumbs dangerously close to her breasts, and Marianne arched her back to get him  _ closer. _

He growled into her, his hands sliding against her skin, and for the first time ever he really grabbed her chest. She felt the callus of his palms against her softness, and the friction had her rubbing her thighs against each other.  
Sensing the movements, Bog breached her legs and placed himself between them, his body smoldering against hers and something very hard poking against the inside of her thigh.

But he didn’t mind it, simply kept kissing her ever so slowly, so maddening while massaging her breast, his thumb gently rubbing against her nipple, and Marianne heard herself whimpering again.  
Her heart leaped in a way it hadn’t done in a long time. It was nervousness, excitement, the giddiness of a teenager, and the lust of a woman all in one, and she drew up her legs to allow him to sink further against her.

He kneaded his hands against her, and then one hand left her chest to tangle its fingers into her hair, and Marianne drew her arms around his neck while shifting the dominance of their kiss by sliding her tongue into  _ his  _ mouth.  
He growled in appreciation, and Marianne smiled.

Her breast was getting warm - in fact, her entire body was heating up, almost burning to the touch no doubt. All that energy bundled up, ready to explode like a firecracker, and Marianne touched her calf to Bogs' side, sliding it against him to catch his attention.

The air she took in as they parted tasted fresh and cool, but not nearly as sweet as the taste of the goblin above her.  
She looked into pools of crystal blue, and she swallowed hard at the  _ love _ she found there.  
This was what genuine love and longing and  _ hope _ looked like. And she loved him back.  
Oh boy, she sure did.


	7. Joined as One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Thank you. For this. I wasn’t sure if it would be too much, and I didn’t want you to think I was desperate or anything…” She mused. It was almost a whisper, but she knew he’d heard her as he rearranged them to lie face to face.
> 
> “No, never. Ah woud’ never think tha’.”
> 
> His eyes were soft, and giving, and so full of love. She saw neither deceit nor lies in them, and Marianne knew she could trust him. He would never lie to me, or try to use me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The queen of the Fairfields and the king of the Dark Forest find peace at last.
> 
> \---------------------
> 
> Thank you for reading! I don't know when I'll post the next part of TWOTH, but there will be more!~

Time stood still as they lay there together, drunk on the images of one another. Marianne shuddered as she felt his breath on her skin, and she mewled as he slowly descended to brush his lips against her neck.  
His hips barely twitched against her, and the slide of him so close to her core made her groan. She let her hands fall from his neck to allow him better access to hers and dragged her palms against the moss covering of the bed in suspense.

He started a slow burn against her neck, his tongue darting out to taste the skin there, and Marianne lifted her legs to encase his hips against her. It made him draw even closer, but not close enough that she felt any sort of friction against her sex, and the maddening feeling of “so close and yet so far” made her writhe and buck beneath him.  
That got him to finally breach the distance between them, and the heat rolling off his member reached her opening.

“Las’ chance.” He all but moaned against her skin, his hips twitching. Marianne groaned and thought she might burst with anticipation.  
So many years; So many lonely nights of prolonged agony. Okay, kind of dramatic, but Marianne had endured more than enough humiliation and neglect to think of her marriage as nothing but a disaster.

Roland would never ask, never consider if she might’ve changed her mind. She never thought any man could dance so close to something so sweet, and not go in to sate his cravings the second he had her like this. Or any woman for that matter.

Bog was an enigma in so many ways, and once again he had surprised her with how gentle and considerate he could be. But maybe… maybe it was because she just didn’t know any different.  
The comparisons she could draw between him and Roland stopped at their biological gender. And Marianne praised anything and everything she could for it.

With a roll of her hips, they finally touched. The length of his member brushed against her outer lips, and Marianne choked on a moan she had no chance of stopping. Bog groaned against her neck, his fangs ghosting over her skin.  
Already addicted to the way he felt against her, she canted her hips and let him slide against her, her toes curling as he hit the bundle of nerves at her top. Her hands fisted into the moss beneath her.

“ _Bog.”_ She whispered, and he could do little to restrain the choking sound that escaped his throat.

He grabbed at her hip, his fingers digging into her flesh at an angle that would keep his claws from ripping her skin. She was almost disappointed.  
 _Let there be proof of our choice._

This time, Bog twisted _his_ hips to slide against her with more fervor than she had ever felt from anyone. He gasped as she snarled at the friction. She was sobbing wet, and he slid against her easily because of it.  
“T-tell me wha’ ta’ doe, Ah cannae-!”

She hooked her legs behind him and pushed gently, hoping he would catch her request.  
“Inside - _oh Gods_ , Bog, I need-”  
  
She almost screamed as he plunged in deep, burrowing himself to the hilt within seconds.  
Almost fearing that there would be pinching and protest from her body, Marianne tensed instinctively. But this wasn’t invasive, it wasn’t Roland - this was _heaven._

Yup, she had died and gone to heaven, no doubt about it.  
  
She relaxed immediately and her hands flew to snake around his neck once more, dragging him closer to brush her nose against his throat. His lower body didn’t move, but his back was twitching and his chest was shaking with every breath he took to try and calm himself.  
It was probably pretty overwhelming. This had got to be his first time, and with how nervous he was about everything else, she knew she had to encourage him. Not that she needed an excuse.  
“F-fuck! Bog, you feel so-”

She suddenly felt his hands grab her bottom, and no sooner was she lifted slightly off of the moss-covered bed before she felt him adjust their position. The ridges of his cock clashed against her walls, and Marianne keened at the sensation.  
  
She looked up to see him rise above her, his strong hands supporting her back and lower half, and she blushed a deep crimson as she realized; at this angle, she could see where they connected. She had never seen anything so beautiful.  
“B- _Bog.”_

His face was painted with a pained pleasure that made her heart throb. He was so vulnerable and looked the part; pupils blown and mouth hanging slightly open. He was panting as he captured her gaze, and Marianne wanted to cry as he moved a hand to caress her hipbone.  
“Yer-” He swallowed as he took her in.

He was supporting her weight against his pelvic and lower stomach, his thighs spread to hoist hers, and Marianne couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Did he… want to watch her like this?

She blushed again, the rush of blood spreading over her cheeks, ears, and shoulders, and maybe she imagined it, but she thought she saw him smile then.  
“Yer so _beautiful.”_

If one could truly get drunk on a picture alone, Bog was intoxicated at this moment, and Marianne had never felt so gorgeous in her entire life.  
“ _Flirt.”_ Was all she could manage, and it was dragged from her on a heavy, stimulated pant.

He did smile at that, and Marianne’s heart leaped again.  
  
Suddenly, his hips moved, and Marianne realized he’d shifted their position to find his equilibrium, and to calm down.   
He wanted to make sure he could see her face so that he could read her expression - see how she reacted.  
He didn’t want to overstep her boundaries, and if he was anything like her, he probably also found it _very hot_ to have her sprawled out like this _._

The thought of covering up didn’t even occur to her, which was such a relief, as it had become a part of her and Rolands routine. Something as natural for her as breathing.  
 _Her body wasn’t curvaceous enough. Too many muscles, not enough plumpness._

Bog didn’t seem to share that sentiment, as his eyes roved deliciously slow up and down her quivering body. It sent another wave of heat into her.

Her eyelids drooped slightly as he slowly withdrew, the pace so slow she could feel every drag of him against her, and Marianne bit her lower lip on a hiss as he almost left her.  
She didn’t need to beg for anything though, as he thrust back home in no time, and she moaned low and long, the sound coming from somewhere deep in her sternum.

Bog groaned in return, and withdrew once again, still slow but more impatiently this time, and Marianne opened her thighs wider and arched her back, her hair getting ruffled in the moss beneath her. Her mouth opened on a silent quake as her lower body moved towards him, drawing him deeper as he went back in.

If she closed her eyes it wasn’t because she wanted to. Her hands fisted into the texture of greenery beneath her as Bog’s hand on her hip tightened to an almost bruising force. She heard him shift, and suddenly he changed the pace to a much more constant thrusting.  
“Mm, just like that - _yes!”_

The pace and movements simulated a slow dance. A rift in time where they existed for each other and no one else. It was a thing of beauty, and Marianne wanted to cry. She felt the lump in her throat, and she was scared that Bog would take it the wrong way. Biting her tongue, she hoped he hadn’t noticed.

The bed dipped as she felt herself get folded at the middle, and out of nowhere, her right knee was lifted as a hand braced itself on the bed beside her head. The angle became steep and her eyes shut open as involuntarily as they had closed. 

He was hovering above her, his back bent to lower his face against hers, and Marianne crossed her left leg over his lower back, and nudged him closer.  
“Wha’s on yer mind?”

She wanted to smack herself. Of course, he’d noticed.  
His expression was of someone who’d been drawn back into the real world after having been lost in a fantasy. His eyes were focused as they studied her face, but there was a shine to them that betrayed their intensity. He almost looked apologetic for having been lost - now, that wouldn’t do.

“I’m just… _so_ happy.” Her hand drew up to caress his face. If a romantic fantasy of forbidden love and eloping was their future, she would cherish the moments she got to have with him over anything else that had happened in her life, as if they were of the purest gold. His smile, his eyes, his person - they had proved to be just the thing she had needed after all.

He leaned into her hand, his eyes almost closing, but they never left her. “Are ye sure? Ah can sto-”

“ _Don’t you dare._ Please… it has nothing to do with you. I promise.” _It has everything to do with you._

Straightening out, Bog started his languid rhythm once again as he ghosted his lips over hers, eyes drooping and blue eyes staring into her soul. “Hmm, jus’ ‘no ye can talk t’ me.”

“I know.” She whispered, and he met her smile with his own.

And then there were no words escaping them. They were too lost in each other’s eyes for that, and Marianne didn’t need them anyway. She had everything she wanted at this point.  
 _Just don’t cry, he’s taking it the wrong way._   
She drew herself skywards and clashed their lips together, and Bog answered in equal force, his pace stuttering as their tongues met.

The taste of springwater returned to tickle at her senses, together with a musk emanating from him that she’d only ever caught whiffs off. Now it was rolling off him, and it mixed with the taste of his tongue.  
She bit at his lower lip, and he snarled in kind. It earned her a sharp twist of his hips, and she moaned into his mouth.

Long forgotten was the injury of his shoulder and arm as he braced himself to take her deeper, and that’s when he started to genuinely _thrust.  
_ The hand beside her head fisted into the moss as he kissed her with more fervor than she’d ever felt from him before. Her head began to swim as his thrusts deepened, and she could do nothing but breathe as he worshipped her body.

There was making love, and there was fucking, and Marianne would classify this as somewhere in between. The carnal need was there; present in both of them, but there was also a deep tenderness that would make sure she could actually walk tomorrow.

She twisted and angled herself again, taking him deeper as a result, and his pace sped up once more, their coupling earning a voice of skin against skin reverberating through the room.  
He started to moan then, and it was as if it broke a secret pact between them because suddenly her own voice returned, and it was eager to sing his praises.  
“Ah! Bog, YES - f-faster! I can take it!”

Her hands scratched against his neck and grabbed at his leaf-like hair as he obliged, his voice strangled on a hissing snarl and his hips snapping once more to indulge in his lady’s needs.  
  
Every nerve in her body sang as their bodies moved together. She wanted to writhe, to stretch like something was curling inside her because it couldn’t fit, and she needed it so badly to just _breathe_ .  
“K-keep going! It f-feels so- _FUCK!”_

The longing and desperation of a loveless marriage came crashing down into her stomach, and she knew now that she had never felt like this before.  
His hips met hers in violent waves now, and yet there was nothing violent about it. He was taking her; taking his needs and wants and placing them deep inside her, and despite her efforts, Marianne felt a tear run down her cheek with the sentiment. She felt so loved.

The sounds of their lovemaking were evident, and if someone walked by outside the thick doors leading to Bog’s chamber, they would _not_ be confused as to what was happening inside.

Bog’s thick brogue cut through her reveries with words she couldn’t decipher. they were in an olden tongue, hot and heavy and going straight to her core. Her spine tingled as her mouth opened on another silent plea, and she could almost feel all of her blood draining from her veins to rush south. There was a reason he was going so smoothly in and out of her, and Marianne whimpered as he hit a spot deep inside her that made her toes curl.

“O-oh _Gods,_ Marianne!”

He’d let go of her knee to support himself against her on both sides, and Marianne tried her best to canter her hips, making sure they wouldn’t lose the angle that made him hit such secret things hidden inside her.  
Their kissing had stopped, and now they simply breathed against each other, foreheads touching and lips brushing as their eyes never left the others.

“Ah c-cannae! Ma- _Marianne_ -!”

 _Barren._ The thought of her maybe not being so barren as she believed she was, crept through her. It was another decision of hers to make, even though it might already be too late, but if he left her, _she might die.  
_ She couldn’t speak, couldn’t utter her threats of leaving _him_ if he left her body. She was simply wrapped in the absolute ecstasy of pleasure that was shooting through her. She tried to moan her comfort, to assure him that it was _all right_ , but it came out as a strangled noise in the back of her throat.  
She felt a hand go to her cheek, sensed those loving eyes staring at her, and it sent her soul skywards, and her nerves exploding.

Marianne wasn’t even aware that her orgasm had climbed and crept up on her. She had felt electricity going through her legs and her inner walls, but she had no idea she had been this close.  
The force that pummeled through her in a whiplash had her legs lift and lock behind him, sealing him inside her just in time for the Bog king to roar his surprised pleasure above her.

There was a pouring sensation like that of hot water being dumped onto a winter-frozen body, only it was on the inside and not on the outside, and Marianne keened high and loud as he emptied inside her.  
Her orgasm shook her and dragged on for much longer than she remembered them being capable of, and when she finally came down from the stars above, her body was tingling and her skin was simmering.

She noticed that there was a faint ringing in her ears once more as her world turned to silence... or, at least it was silent compared to what it had been. She found her inner voice had also quieted down, which seemed like a miracle these days.  
She collapsed back against the mossy bed, Bog following in kind. He angled himself a little to the left so as to not crush her, and she was in awe of his ability to do so. She could not control her body at all.

They laid there for several minutes struggling to breathe as their bodies tried to restart. His arm was draped across her, and it occurred to her that he was shielding her from the world. Perhaps it was instinct?  
Her cheeks reddened at the thought of his primal need to protect her.

Marianne was sure her skin was _glowing_ . It had been a long time since she had felt so feminine and completely like a woman. That had felt like something akin to actual worship.  
“That was… _incredible.”_

The goblin beside her stirred and groaned, and she turned her head to meet his eyes.  
“Ye mean tha’?”

She giggled lightheartedly. “Hands down best sex I’ve had in years.”

Bog’s cheeks reddened as he coughed slightly, his eyes averting but a proud smile caught on his lips. She didn’t dare tease him about it.

Marianne knew that neglect and under-stimulation had a lot to do with how powerfully her body had reacted. But, it really had felt special. Roland never got that loving, and even now, Marianne could see the love Bog carried for her in his eyes.  
He didn’t do this for the pleasure; he did it to be close to her. To connect to her.

“How about you? What did you think?”

She drew a hand up to cover the one on her stomach, and she watched him mull it over as she caressed the back of his hand with her fingers. He was teasing her.

“Ah reckon’ tha’ was… perfect.”

She found herself giggling again - _Like a teenager_ \- But she couldn’t help it. There were so many emotions going through her right now, she wasn’t at all surprised she felt so light and free.

Twisting her body to scoot down and lie against his chest, Bog mirrored her to encase her in his arms. He slipped from her body, but the feeling of it wasn’t as lonely as she’d feared it would be, and she sighed contently as their bodies bumped against each other. He was here, and he felt so wonderfully warm against her skin.  
She felt him brush his lips against the top of her head, knowing that he was taking in her scent, and hearing a deep rumbling in his chest as he sighed against her. His fingers played idly at her back against the stem of her wings, and if Marianne hadn’t been so absolutely content and relaxed, she might’ve gotten excited again.

“Tha’ was really okay?” He hummed contemplatively against her hair.

She smiled and placed a kiss against his chest plating. “Don’t worry. It was absolutely by the book.”  
She felt him grimace against her, and she couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Ah shoud’ve never told ya t’ truth. Shoud’ve lied an’ said Ah was some sorta natural.”  
He grunted and kissed her hair, and Marianne looked up at him.

“Hey, at least you didn’t ask your mom for advice! She’d probably never let you hear the end of it!” She tried with a quip, but when he fell oddly silent, Marianne almost froze. “You got the book from her, didn’t you?”

“Ye will nevar speak o’ this t’ anyone.” His voice was stern but shaky, and Marianne felt laughter bubbling up into her throat.

“Oh, you poor bastard. She is never going to let you live this night down.”

And then she was shaking with laughter, Bog groaning above her as his hands rose to cover his face, pushing her further against his chest.

“H-hey! It’s okay! We can face that together - she’ll be proud! She is probably very happy you’d even ask her for advice!” She snaked her arms around his back, patting softly at his scale in a comforting motion, and suddenly, he started to chuckle too.  
It wasn’t a hearty laugh, but a soft, rumbling one that rose from his stomach and settled at his sternum.

“She’d take pride ‘n it, tha’s fer sure.”

Their shared laughing ceased and Marianne sighed in content as she settled against Bog, suddenly finding the rhythm of his heart extremely soothing and lulling her towards sleep.  
But she couldn’t sleep, not quite yet.

“Thank you. For this. I wasn’t sure if it would be too much, and I didn’t want you to think I was desperate or anything…” She mused. It was almost a whisper, but she knew he’d heard her as he rearranged them to lie face to face.

“No, never. Ah woud’ never think tha’.”

His eyes were soft, and giving, and so full of love. She saw neither deceit nor lies in them, and Marianne knew she could trust him. _He would never lie to me, or try to use me._

And even if there had been even a sliver of selfishness in either of them tonight, in the end, they had done this together. Taken this next step together and sealed their fates.  
As a common decision - a vow between them.

“I love you, _so much._ ” she whispered at him, a smile prominent on her features as she channeled all her love in his direction. He smiled, and warmth spread through her body.

“An’ Ah love ye. In fact, _ah can’t help it._ ” He sang softly, and Marianne’s heart fluttered in her chest as she snuggled up against him. 

“Sap.”

“Ye like it.”

“Oh, absolutely.”

They laid there for a few more minutes, smiling peacefully at each other and whispering sweet nothings into the darkness, but soon the coolness of the night moved in on them, and they rearranged to get more comfortable.   
A little while later they were both situated beneath the moss covering breathing gently against each other as sleep took its hold. Marianne mused about the event of the day as she felt the Dark forest coming to life around them, and she remembered the fireflies flying towards the Fields from earlier.

They were at home in both worlds, light and dark, and she decided that they were a perfect symbol for the coming alliance between the Dark Forest and the Fairfields.

An insignia formed in her mind, something that would unite their kingdoms, and she found that she yearned for the day she and Bog would join in matrimony - it would make all those years wasted, worth it in the end.


End file.
